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Ice Dams – Solutions and Prevention

Posted on: February 18th, 2014 by editor

What is an ice dam?

An ice dam is a wall of ice that forms at the edge of the roof, usually at the gutters or soffit. When it forms the water then backs up behind the ice dam and creates a pool of water. This pool of water can leak into your home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and other areas.

What causes ice dams?

Ice dams are usually caused by heavy snowfall and improper ventilation in the attic. This causes warmer areas in your attic then the snow begins to melt, even when the outside temperature is well below freezing. When the accumulated snow on your roof starts melting it runs down your roof underneath the snow until it reaches a “colder” section like the soffit’s, valleys or in gutters then it begins to freeze again, this process of thawing and refreezing is what causes an ice dam.

Cleaning the gutters on your home can help prevent ice dams from occurring as quickly but they can still occur if the conditions are right. The gutters will be just as cold as it is outside and in some cases, full of frozen debris. So even if you don’t have a soffit for the water to refreeze in, the melted water will most likely refreeze when flowing into the gutters.

How can I remove an existing ice dam?

WARNING!
Performing ice dam removal is risking severe personal injury and damage to the roof if not done properly. Never walk on a snow covered roof and make sure if you’re going to use a ladder you follow the proper safety procedures. We highly recommend contacting professionals (like Landmark Roofing) with the proper equipment and roofing experience to carry out this job.